"More than anyone beyond Sam Walton, David Glass is responsible for making Walmart the company it is today."
-- Rob Walton, former chairman of Walmart
What’s the point?
David Glass, who died early this month, built up Walmart, its culture, employees and customers in the post-Sam Walton era.
When it comes to giants of entrepreneurship, retailing and leadership in business, they don't come much bigger than Sam Walton, who began merchandising in his 20s with one small store in Arkansas but would grow his operation into a retailing behemoth employing nearly 400,000 by the time of his death in 1992.
With that in mind, the above reflections of "Mr. Sam's" son, Rob, is an astonishing commentary on the impact of David Glass' leadership within the Bentonville-based company, a dozen years of that leading the company as its president and chief executive.
Glass died Jan. 9 at the age of 84.
Sam Walton recruited native Missourian Glass to join Walmart in 1976 as the company's chief financial officer, despite the fact Glass had once advised Walton, after visiting an early Walmart store, to get into a different line of work. From the moment Glass was hired and for 24 years, his influence and contributions to the company's future expanded. And, boy, did the company follow suit.
Walmart went international during Glass' tenure and he helped guide it into the technological age. He's credited with managing development of the Retail Link software that proved instrumental in forecasting future customer needs and behaviors, connecting stores as well as suppliers to the vital data that drives Walmart's ability to meet demand.
The Walmart stores most of us know today -- Supercenters and Sam's Clubs -- can be traced back to the David Glass era.
"Due to his authentic humility, we think David Glass may be the most under-appreciated CEO in the history of business," said Doug McMillon, the current president and CEO of Walmart. "The choices he made and the results of the company reflect his wisdom, dedication and servant leadership. We will miss him immensely and are eternally grateful."
Glass, after departing Walmart, turned to a game he loved: baseball. In 2000, he bought the Kansas City Royals, reportedly for less than $100 million.
"I went to my first game in 1946 and I've been a baseball junkie ever since," Glass told The Associated Press last year.
As with any Major League Baseball owner, Glass had his detractors for the way he led the organization. He kept working to build a club that would be competitive and operated well. He must have done a lot right even if it took several years: The Royals took the American League pennant in 2014 and followed that up with the ultimate -- a World Series championship -- in 2015, marking the organization's second title.
The Glass family sold the team last year at a reported price of about $1 billion.
His humility and confidence allowed him to thrive in Sam Walton's shadow, which might have consumed a lesser man. Glass credited that fact to not having much of an ego. "I like being part of a winning team. I don't have to be the winning team," he said.
Without a doubt, Mr. Glass was a winner.
Commentary on 01/24/2020